The Amygdala

A Functional Analysis

Second Edition

Edited by John P. Aggleton

This new edition of a book first published in 1992 provides an up-to-date analysis of the functions of the amygdala, the brain structure that governs the ways in which our emotions affect our actions and our memories, and how we interact socially with others. It is also thought that malfunctions of the amygdala contribute to a number of disorders affecting personality, for example Alzheimer's disease, autism and schizophrenia. THe contributors are leading experts in their field, from the UK and the United States.

The Amygdala

A Functional Analysis

Second Edition

Edited by John P. Aggleton

Description

The amygdala is a central component of the limbic brain system and is known to be vital to understanding aspects of emotions, memory and social behavior. Dysfuction of the structure is also thought to contribute to a variety of disorders, including autism, Alzheimer's Disease and schizophrenia. The nature of its contribution to these fundamental aspects of behavior and cognition, and its relationship with other regions of the brain has remained elusive. However, since Aggleton's first book on the subject - The Amygdala: Neurobiological Aspects of Emotion, Memory, and Mental Dysfunction (1992) - there have been some major advances in our understanding of the processes involved and a dramatic rise in the volume of research. Scientists are now able to define its
contribution in an increasingly precise manner. Leading experts from around the world have contributed chapters to this comprehensive and unique review, describing current thinking on the enigmatic brain structure. This book for all those with an interest in the neural basis of emotion and memory.

The Amygdala

A Functional Analysis

Second Edition

Edited by John P. Aggleton

Table of Contents

1. The amygdala - what's happened in the last decade, Aggleton & Saunders2. Connectivity of the rat amygdaloid complex, Pitkänen3. Synaptic plasticity in the amygdala, Chapman & Chattarji4. Plasticity in the amygdala and kindling, Weiss5. The amygdala: anxiety and benzopdiazepines, File6. The role of the amygdala in conditioned and unconditioned fear and anxiety, Davis7. The amygdala and emotion: a view through fear, LeDoux8. The amygdala and associative learning, Gallagher9. The amygdala in conditioned taste aversion: it's there, but where, Lamprecht & Dudai10. Differential involvement of amygdala subsystems in appetitive conditioning and drug addiction, Everitt et al11. Amygdala: role in modulation of memorystorage12. Modulation of long-term memory in humans by emotional arousal: adrenergic activation & the amygdala, Cahill13. Neurophysiology and functions of the primate amygdala and the neural basis of emotion, Rolls14. Primate evolution and the amygdala, Barton & Aggleton15. The amygdala, social behaviour and autism, Bachevalier16. Reinterpreting the behavioural effects of amygdala lesions in nonhuman primates, Baxter & Murray17. Amygdala and the memory of reward: the importance of fibres of passage from the basal forebrain, Easton & Gaffan18. Emotion, recognition and the human amygdala, Adolphs & Tranel19. Functional neuroimaging of the amygdala during emotional processing and learning, Dolan20. The amygdala and Alzheimer's disease